The Prince eBook

Thus it arose that, men’s minds being thus unsettled,
it was decided by certain men of Urbino to seize the
fortress of San Leo, which was held for the duke,
and which they captured by the following means.
The castellan was fortifying the rock and causing
timber to be taken there; so the conspirators watched,
and when certain beams which were being carried to
the rock were upon the bridge, so that it was prevented
from being drawn up by those inside, they took the
opportunity of leaping upon the bridge and thence
into the fortress. Upon this capture being effected,
the whole state rebelled and recalled the old duke,
being encouraged in this, not so much by the capture
of the fort, as by the Diet at Magione, from whom
they expected to get assistance.

Those who heard of the rebellion at Urbino thought
they would not lose the opportunity, and at once assembled
their men so as to take any town, should any remain
in the hands of the duke in that state; and they sent
again to Florence to beg that republic to join with
them in destroying the common firebrand, showing that
the risk was lessened and that they ought not to wait
for another opportunity.

But the Florentines, from hatred, for sundry reasons,
of the Vitelli and Orsini, not only would not ally
themselves, but sent Nicolo Machiavelli, their secretary,
to offer shelter and assistance to the duke against
his enemies. The duke was found full of fear at
Imola, because, against everybody’s expectation,
his soldiers had at once gone over to the enemy and
he found himself disarmed and war at his door.
But recovering courage from the offers of the Florentines,
he decided to temporize before fighting with the few
soldiers that remained to him, and to negotiate for
a reconciliation, and also to get assistance.
This latter he obtained in two ways, by sending to
the King of France for men and by enlisting men-at-arms
and others whom he turned into cavalry of a sort:
to all he gave money.

Notwithstanding this, his enemies drew near to him,
and approached Fossombrone, where they encountered
some men of the duke and, with the aid of the Orsini
and Vitelli, routed them. When this happened,
the duke resolved at once to see if he could not close
the trouble with offers of reconciliation, and being
a most perfect dissembler he did not fail in any practices
to make the insurgents understand that he wished every
man who had acquired anything to keep it, as it was
enough for him to have the title of prince, whilst
others might have the principality.

And the duke succeeded so well in this that they sent
Signor Pagolo to him to negotiate for a reconciliation,
and they brought their army to a standstill.
But the duke did not stop his preparations, and took
every care to provide himself with cavalry and infantry,
and that such preparations might not be apparent to
the others, he sent his troops in separate parties
to every part of the Romagna. In the meanwhile
there came also to him five hundred French lancers,
and although he found himself sufficiently strong
to take vengeance on his enemies in open war, he considered
that it would be safer and more advantageous to outwit
them, and for this reason he did not stop the work
of reconciliation.